Thondar Adip Podi Alwar

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavatas,

In connection with the Tirunakshatram of Thondar Adip Podi Alwar which

falls on December 7, 1997, I submit below my respectful obeisance to

the Alwar.

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

================================================================================\

======

 

 

THONDAR ADIP PODI ALWAR (Margazhi - Kettai)

 

Vipra Narayana, as he was known, Thondar Adip Podi Alwar, an incarnation

of Vanamala (the divine garland of Lord Vishnu) was born in

Tirumandamkudi in the Year Parabhava, Margazhi month, Krishna Paksha

Chaturdasi ( aTuesday) in the constellation of Kettai, in the family of

a Sozhiya Srivasishnava. He desired to live as a confirmed

bachelor(Naishtika Brahmachari) and was ' NEVER MARRIED'. Like

Periyalwar, he was also engaged in making flower garlands for Lord

Ranganatha in Srirangam.

 

Once, a pair of dancing girls returning after a dance performance in the

Chola court happened to stray into his flower garden. He was so immersed

in the thought of the Lord that he practically ignored the girls. The

younger of the two, by name Deva Devi felt offended and challenged that

she would entice him to be a slave to her charms though the elder one

warned her not to embark on such an adventure.

 

Draped as a Sannyasini, she sought to do any service that Vipranarayana

assigned to her. Not knowing the plot, he consented. One day, when it

was raining heavily, Devadevi got drenched and was shivering. Seeing her

plight and out of compassion, he admitted her into his "SINGLE ROOM'

hermitage. Devadevi slowly played her charms on him and brought him

round. By rousing his sensual desires, she virtually enslaved him. In

due cours, he became so enamoured of her that he could not bear to be

away from her even for a moment.

 

After having intoxicated him, Devadevi suddenly left for her home in

Uttamarkoil, a suburb of Srirangam. Vipranarayana had no more money to

offer her. True to her profession, she spurned him. Vipranarayana

returned not knowing what to do to win her affection back again.

 

At this time, Lord Ranganatha appeared before Devadevi, calling himself

as "AZHAGIYA MANAVALA DASAN"- a servant of Vipranarayana and handed over

to her the big silver vessel used for Puja in the temple saying that

Vipranarayana had sent him for the purpose. Thereupon, Vipranarayana was

let in.

 

Next morning, when the temple priests opened the doors of the Sanctum

Sanctorum, they found the vessel missing. Immediately, an investigation

was ordered.Through the servant maid of Devadevi, news reached that the

vessel was in the house of Devadevi. Devadevi, when questioned, pleaded

that it was Vipranarayana who had sent it to her through his servant.He,

however, swore that he had no servant and had not sent it to her, as

alleged. But, the king ignored his pleadings and put him in jail. That

night, Lord Ranganatha appeared in the King's dream and informed him

that Vipranarayana was innocent and that He himself contrived the trick

to redeem Vipranarayana from the evil ways he had fallen into.

Thereupon, the King released Vipranarayana.

 

Since then, Vipranarayana turned a new leaf, called himself " THONDAR

ADIP PODI"- meaning that he was like the dust at the feet of the

devotees of the Lord and thereafter never looked back. He composed two

poems 'TIRUMAALAI"- a garland for the Lord and "TIRUPPALLI EZHUCHI"-

waking up the lord. There is a saying that " One who does not know

'Tirumaalai' cannot know ' Tirumaal'-a Tamil name for Lord Sri Lakshmi

Narayana. Having gone through the traumatic experience with Devadevi,

Tondar Adip Podi Alwar had been so chastened that he became a staunch

devotee who was frank and forthright in his frontal attacks on those who

considered divinities other than Lord Narayana as the Supreme deity.

 

TIRU MAALAI

 

His involvement on devotion to the Archa Moorthi (Idol) of Lord

Ranganatha was so intense that in the 45 verses of his Tirumalai, he

pours out his heart pathetically pleading to the Lord even declaring

that he would not like to trade in his opportunity of serving in the

temple even if he were offered the heavens ruled by the King of Gods,

Indra.

 

 

pachchaimaa malaipOl mEni

pavaLavaay kamalach chenkaN

achchuthaa! amara rERE!

aayar_tham kozhunthE! ennum,

ichchuvai thavira yaanpOy

inthira lOka maaLum,

achchuvai peRinum vENdEn

arankamaa nakaru LaanE! (2)

 

" O! Lord! You have the physical appearance as that of a majestic green

mountain; your lips are red as coral; Your eyes are like the lotus

flowers; You never fail your devotees; O! God of the Gods! Yet, you

appeared as a youthful lad in the cowherd family! Even if you grant me

the Paramapada, I would not prefer it to the beatitude I enjoy here and

now at yor feet in Srirangam"

 

Some people imagine that the Alwar rejected Paramapadam and wanted to

live on earth. This is not correct. It is only to emphasize the

enjoyment of the Lord in the Archa form that the Alwar used a hyperbole.

 

In the very next verse, he says why he does not wish to live and

proceeds to spell out a numerical account of how life is wasted on

earth.

 

 

 

vEthan^ool piraayam nooRu

manisar_thaam pukuva rElum,

paathiyu muRankip pOkum

ninRathil pathinai yaaNdu,

pEdhaipaa lakana thaakum

piNipasi moopputh thunpam,

aathalaal piRavi vENdEn

arankamaa nakaru LaanE! (3)

 

' Even if one were to live for 100 years as laid down in the Vedas, half

of it (i,e) 50 years goes in sleep;the remaining 50 are also spent in

childhood, adolescence, jeuvanile pursuits followed by vigorous youth

indulging in worldly pleasures yielding to the temptations of the five

senses resulting in untold diseases and suffering, proceeding to old age

and finally death. Since the whole life gets wasted in this manner, O!

Lord of Arangam!- Please spare me from further births."

 

The Alwar mounts a frontal attack on those who are either unaware of the

grace of the Lord or resort to other faiths and deities that are

incapable of granting liberation. He goes to the extent of saying that

those who resort to Jainism, Buddhism (the Nastika Darsanas) or Saivism

( Those who accept the Vedas but misinterpret it) are indeed mentally

diseased and given the chance and power, he would not hesitate to

decimatethem by beheading them, if need be.

 

 

VeRuppodu samaNar muNdar

vithiyilsaak kiyar_kaL, ninpaal

poRuppari yanakaL pEsil

pOvathE nOya thaaki

kuRippenak kadaiyu maakil

koodumEl thalaiyai aankE,

aRuppathE karumaNG kaNdaay

arankamaa nakaru LaanE! (8)

 

Addressing such misled persons as fools who do not know that there is no

other Supreme deity than Sriman Narayana says that only in times of

danger they would realize the presence of this Supreme Lord (who out of

grace tended even the cows by personally taking them to the grazing

grounds). These people forgot all about Him when the going was good

 

 

maRRumOr theyva muNdE

mathiyilaa maani dankaaL,

uRRapO thanRi neenkaL

oruvanen RuNara maatteer,

aRRamE lonRa Reeyeer

avanallaal theyva millai,

kaRRinam mEyththa venthai

kazhaliNai paNimi NneerE. (9)

 

The Lord of the Devas, Lord Ranganatha has His abode in Srirangam where

the bees hum, the peacocks dance in the groves the trees of which grow

so tall as to embrace the dark clouds in the skies and where the cuckoos

sing. He says that at least dogs are grateful but those who do not utter

His name are utterly ungrateful. fools. Any food that is offered to such

ungrateful ones better be denied to them and given to the grateful

dogs.

 

 

vaNdina muralum sOlai

mayilinam aalum sOlai,

koNdalmee thaNavum sOlai

kuyilinam koovum sOlai,

aNdar_kO Nnamarum sOlai

aNithiru varanka mennaa,

miNdar_paayn^ thuNNum sORRai

vilakkin^aayk kidumi NneerE. (14)

 

The Alwar's mind melts on seeing the irresistable beauty of the Lord-

the Lord who is of the color of the sea; the Lord who reclines on His

sepent couch with His head on the West, His feet to the East, showing

His back to the North and facing the South where Vibishana rules over

Lanka.

 

 

kudathisai mudiyai vaiththuk

kuNathisai paatham neetti,

vadathisai pinpu kaattith

then_thisai yilankai nOkki,

kadaln^iRak kadavu Lenthai

aravaNaith thuyilu maakaNdu,

udalenak kuruku maalO

enseykE Nnulakath theerE! (19)

 

Some Divya Prabandham enthusists interpret Lord's turning His back to

the North as indicating His prediliction to the Tamil language of the

South in which the Tamil Veda is written in preference to the hard and

difficult Sanskrit in which the Vedas have been composed!. It only shows

how imagination runs riot when one is deeply attached to one's language-

a kind of linguistic fanaticism, this?.

 

The Alwar then expresses the Artha Panchakam in verses 29 to 31 and

pleads to the Lord to accept his prayer.

" I have no properties; nmo relations; I know none other than your feet;

O! Lord of the sky color! Only you are my refuge! Kanna! Don't you hear

my pathetic pleas? Who else is there than you to save me?"

 

 

UrilEn kaaNi yillai

uRavumaR Roruva rillai,

paariln^in paatha moolam

paRRilEn parama moorththi,

kaaroLi vaNNa NnE!(en)

kaNNanE! kathaRu kinREn,

aaruLark kaLaik Nammaa!

arankamaa nakaru LaanE! (29)

 

" What is my fate? Tell me O! My Lord wearing the divine basil! I am not

pure at heart nor have I uttered any good word all through my life. I

have been hostile and unjustly angry at everyone, spouted fiery words on

one and all; I have not done any penance; I have no riches; I have

wasted my whole life like saline water which is useless for irrigation.

I have always committed crimes against humanity; have been a womaniser

to the extent of being hated by them; You have given me a life of utter

waste"

 

 

 

manaththilOr thooymai yillai

vaayilO rinso lillai,

sinaththinaal seRRam nOkkith

theeviLi viLivan vaaLaa,

punaththuzhaay maalai yaanE!

ponnisoozh thiruva rankaa,

enakkinik kathiyen sollaay

ennaiyaa Ludaiya kOvE! (30)

 

 

thavaththuLaar thammi lallEn

thanampadath thaari lallEn,

uvarththan^eer pOla venRan

uRRavark konRu mallEn,

thuvarththasev vaayi NnaarkkE

thuvakkaRath thurisa NnaanEn,

avaththamE piRavi thanthaay

arankamaa nakaru LaanE! (31)

 

In Verse 38, he characterizes Prapannas as lazy folk since after doing

Prapatti, they have nothing else to do for salvation except to patiently

wait at the doorstep of the Lord till the fall of the body. The Alwar

says that the Lord favours only such lazy folk. This is a kind of '

Nindha Stuti'.

 

 

mEmporuL pOka vittu

meymmaiyai mikavu Narnthu,

aampari saRinthu koNdu

aimpula Nnakaththa dakki,

kaampuRath thalaisi raiththun

kadaiththalai yirunthu,vaazhum

sOmparai ukaththi pOlum

soozhpunal arankath thaanE! (38)

 

This Verse is considered to the very essence of this Prabandham like the

Charama Sloka of Baghavad Gita. The term Meip Porul has been variously

interpreted by commentators. Here, it is said to refer inter alia to

"Bhagavata- Lakshanam".

 

VAAZHUM SOMBAR: Those who are unmindful and lazy about their own living

and live only for the Lord.

KODUM SOMBAR: Those who live for themselves unmindful of their duties

towards the Lord.

============================================================

 

TANIANS ON TIRUMALAI

By Tiruvaranga Perumal Araiyar

 

maRRonRum vENdaa manamE! mathiLarankar,

kaRRinam mEyththa kazhaliNaikkeezh,- uRRa

thirumaalai paadumseer_th thoNdaradippodiyem

perumaanai, eppozhudhum pEsu.

 

"O! My mind! Don't think of anything else. Always speak of Tondar Adip

Podi Alwar who has firm faith in the divine feet of the Lord who

reclines in Srirangam and who tends the groups of cows, the Alwar of

excellent character who composed this Prabandham called ' Tirumaalai'

 

TIRUP PALLI EZHUCHI

 

Like Andal, who sang Tiruppavai to wake up her peers and the Lord, the

Alwar wakes up the Lord by referring to several phenomena indicating the

daybreak and reasons why the Lord should wake up.

 

 

kathiravan kuNathisaich sikaramvan^ thaNain^thaan

kanaviru LakanRathu kaalaiyam pozhuthaay,

mathuvirin^ thozhukina maamala rellaam

vaanava rarasar_kaL van^thuvan^ theeNdi,

ethir_thisai niRain^thana rivarodum pukun^tha

irunkaLiR Reettamum pidiyodu murasum,

athir_thali lalaikadal pOnRuLa thenkum

arankaththam maa!paLLi yezhun^tharu LaayE. (2) (1)

 

"O! Lord of Srirangam! The Sun has arisen in the East; The darkness of

the night has been expelled; The beautiful flowers have blossomed and

drip with honey; Devas and Kings vie with each other andf are gathered

at the Southern gater to have your Darshan. Along with them have come

herds of male and female elephants;the sounds of the bands played

reverberate like the roar of the waves of the ocean.O! Lord! Please wake

up and shower your grace"

 

TANIANS ON TIRUP PALLI EZHUCHI

1, By Tirumali Aandaan

 

 

thirumalaiyaaNdaan aruLiyathu

 

thamEvamadhvaa paravaaSuthEvam

rangEsayam raajavadharhaNeeyam-

praabOthakeem yOgrutha Sookthimaalaam

bakthaankri rENum bakavan^tha meedE.

 

" I praise Tondar Adip Podi Alwar who deems the Lord of Srirangam

reclining on the serpent couch as the very Lord of Srivaikuntam and who

composed the Divya Prabandham called ' Tirup Palli Ezhuchi"

 

2. By Tiruvaranga Perumal Araiyar

 

maNdaNG kudiyenpar maamaraiyOr, manniyaseerth

thoNda, radippodi thonnakaram, - vaNdu

thiNarththavayal thennarankath thammaanaip, paLLi

uNarththum piraanuthiththa voor.

 

" The wise and the great used to call Tirumandamkudi as the ancient city

wher the Vaidheekas abound. That is the place where was born Tondar Adip

Podi Alwar who gave the wake up call to the Lord who reclines at

Srirangam which is surrounded by beautiful waterfronts"

 

DIVYADESAMS CONSECRATED BY TONDAR ADIP PODI ALWAR

1. Tiruvarangam

2. Ayodhya

3.Tiruppaarkadal